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Philippine Farm-Science Group Slammed Covert Bill Gates GMO Push

A local farmers-scientists group condemned the covert visit of the notorious GMO/vaccine advocate, Bill Gates, who is trying to convince the Philippine government to use genetically modified Golden Rice as the solution to vitamin A deficiency when Malungay or Moringa, which is very rich in Vitamin A and all other nutrients, is already pervasive in this part of the world since Moses’s time.

Is Bill Gates that desperate in killing us all here? Or, is he just plain stupid?

We hope that this guy realize how irritated we already are with his arrogant interference to our domestic affairs. He can take IRRI with him anytime of any day!

Moringa’s benefits are more than we need.

Farmer groups and sectoral organizations, however call for the prohibition of the commercialization, citing issues on rice genetic diversity…

Los Baños, Laguna – Farmer-scientist group MASIPAG expressed distrust in the recent visit of IT mogul and American billionaire Bill Gates to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) last April 8. Together with his wife Melinda and members of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the visit expectedly has something to do with the IRRI’s various research on genetically modified Golden Rice. Bill Gates has been reported as one of IRRI’s biggest private donor.

“While the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a philanthropic organization, its focus is on high technological solutions like chemical farming and GMOs, thus we believe that the projects that they are funding will only cause further trouble among the poor farmers and consumers,” said Dr. Chito Medina, National Coordinator of MASIPAG.

The BMGF has been supporting food biofortification programs, which includes fortifying staple crops such as rice and cassava. It is also supporting the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) which is suspected to repeat the same mistakes of the Green Revolution in Asia. In 2011, the BMGF donated about US$10.3 million dollars to IRRI for the development of Golden Rice, a genetically modified rice that is touted to address Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) problems in developing countries, including the Philippines.

Golden Rice is genetically modified to express beta-carotene, the pre-cursor of Vitamin A. Apart from the donations of BMGF, about US$100 million dollars has already been spent in the development of Golden Rice from 1991 up to 2000. The GM rice is being developed to supposedly combat VAD, a condition that has been successfully addressed in the Philippines through various fortification and supplementation programs by the national government.

Golden Rice has been met with resistance from farmers’ groups and other concerned civil society organizations as its safety to health and environment has not yet been ascertained. Farmers also claimed that Golden Rice will lead ultimately to control of seeds by huge agrochemical companies. In August 2013, more than 400 farmers and consumers uprooted the clandestine Golden Rice field trial in Pili, Camarines Sur as a show of intense protest.

Farmers break through the wired fence of the Department of Agriculture (DA) compound to uproot golden rice plants…

Golden Rice, Tool for Corporate Control

While Bill Gates has been hailed for funding huge amounts of money on IRRI’s climate-tolerant and biofortified rice varieties, speculations about his interest in controlling food and agriculture began to surface. Gates now owns about 500,000 shares worth US$23 million dollars of Monsanto stock. Monsanto, one of the world’s largest agrochemical and lifescience company has been raking huge amounts of profits from selling chemicals and patented genetically modified seeds. It is highly likely that the approval of Golden Rice would facilitate the entry of more GMOs, which in turn would prove beneficial to agrochemical TNCs. Golden Rice, MASIPAG says, is but a ‘Trojan horse’ that will further strengthen corporate control over agriculture.

Studies have also shown that genetically modified organisms and its accompanying chemicals may prove hazardous to health and the environment. To date, there are no studies that will prove safety of Golden Rice to health and the environment.

“We find it distasteful that one of the richest man on the planet invests millions of dollars to a project whose use and efficacy is yet unproven. While in the communities, local and natural foods that are rich in Vitamin A such as malunggay (moringa), kamoteng dilaw (yellow sweet potato), kalabasa (squash), etc. are readily available and can be easily grown. Also, Vitamin A supplementation is very effective and supported by the government and is given free among the children” added Medina.

Dr. Medina added that studies have shown that most of the VAD-affected children hail from the impoverished sectors lacking the capacity to access for a balanced and healthy diet, including safe drinking water. VAD, and the problem on hunger in general, Medina states, is rooted in socio-economic inequalities.

“Poverty and lack of access to basic resources are the main cause of VAD and other malnutrition issues. We think that Golden Rice cannot address these.”

Boosting IRRI’s image

Bill Gates’ visit to IRRI has proven to be a much needed boost in its image, which has been declining in the past decades.

“We still have not forgotten the bitter lessons from the Green Revolution and the high-yielding rice varieties (HYVs) of IRRI that failed its promise of better production and better life for poor farmers,” said Diego Dela Cruz Jr., a farmer from Agusan del Sur. “The HYVs, along with its expensive inputs have put many farmers into further poverty and indebtedness.”

IRRI, which celebrated its 55th anniversary last April 4 has introduced the so-called modern varieties of rice that promised to have better yields and higher income for the farmers. By 1970s, the HYVs started declining and various pests and diseases have developed, significantly reducing rice production in the Philippines and other neighbouring countries. The massive spread of HYVs has also resulted to the loss of traditional rice varieties that are better adapted to the local environments. The intensive application of chemical inputs has resulted to soil degradation, and the monocropping practice of HYVs has affected the biodiversity in the farm.

“After its 55 years of existence, what has IRRI done to the Filipino farmers and the country’s rice productivity? The Philippines has even become the world’s number one net rice importer! The quality of life of poor farmers became worse,” lamented Dela Cruz.

Since then, IRRI has shifted its research focus to genetically modified rice (“Gene Revolution”) that is also proving to be problematic.

“Why insist on a potentially harmful technology if there are safer means to address VAD and malnutrition?” asked Dela Cruz.

“We believe that Golden Rice is being promoted to clean up and sugar-coat the image of GMOs, which have been proved by many independent studies to be harmful to health and the environment. By touting the Golden Rice as a humanitarian project, it makes GMOs more acceptable among farmers, governments and consumer” added Medina.

Alternative Measures to Malnutrition

“Poverty and hunger are the main culprits in malnutrition cases, which include Vitamin A. Therefore to address VAD, we should address the lack of resources to ensure that people have access to proper nutrition,” said Dr. Medina.

“Farmers should have their own land to till, and sufficient appropriate technology and post-harvest support to ensure better productivity,”said Dela Cruz.

MASIPAG has been pushing for agroecology and sustainable agriculture (SA) to improve food security in the communities. SA entails diversification of the farms which should also provide more safe and nutritious food for the family and community. Along with several local governments, MASIPAG has also been working on strengthening local markets so that more consumers can avail affordable organic foods and support the local producers.

“Global and international studies such as the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food have recognized agroecology and other farmer innovations as a means to address food security and rural development. We hope that Bill Gates and his foundation likewise recognize that providing safe and more contextually appropriate technologies will better serve the farmers and consumers of developing countries, rather than a potentially harmful technology such as Golden Rice.”###

Golden Rice will endanger Filipino farmers and consumers

Farmers, scientists and consumers show a number of vegetable and fruits that are rich in Vitamin A, and are naturally found in the farms.

Los Baños, Laguna – Farmer-scientist group MASIPAG today exposed the impacts of Golden Rice saying that it is nothing more than a tool to deceive people into accepting genetically modified foods in people’s farms and tables. According to the network, Golden Rice proponents and lobbyists are merely using the malnutrition issue to sell their technology at the risk of the Filipino peoples’ health and the country’s agrobiodiversity. The network also denounced the visit of Allow Golden Rice Now!, a Canada-based advocacy group which is currently in the Philippines promoting the adoption of Golden Rice.

Golden Rice is a genetically engineered rice that has been modified to express beta-carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A, which is one of the essential micro-nutrients that the body needs. Golden Rice, which is being developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), will supposedly address Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) in developing countries such as the Philippines. A known pro-Golden Rice lobby group, the Allow Golden Rice Now! headed by Dr Patrick Moore, is in the country at present to promote the technology amidst the intense rejection and resistance of farmers and consumers.

MASIPAG however, believes that Golden Rice is only intended to project a clean and wholesome image for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and make it acceptable, since Golden Rice is aimed for so-called “humanitarian purposes.”

“Proponents claim that the high case of VAD in poor countries like the Philippines can be solved by Golden Rice, and that it is a crime against humanity not to allow it,” said Dr. Chito Medina, National Coordinator of MASIPAG. “We believe however, that the only crime being committed is subjecting rice, a staple food of millions, to an unsafe and yet unproven technology.”

Dr. Medina cites recent studies and pronouncements of various scientific bodies and authorities that point to the possible negative impacts of genetic modification. According to several studies, genetic modification alters the original genetic make-up of the organism, producing new chemical products that can have negative, unintended and uncontrolled consequences.

“Golden Rice has not been tested for safety,” said Dr. Medina. “The only testing that the proponents have done was to determine its agronomic traits thru open field testing, which has failed miserably.”

In 2014, IRRI has announced that it has pushed back the commercialization of Golden Rice due to its very low yield performance. At present, there have been no studies on allergenicity and toxicity of Golden Rice, which should be first established in animal feeding trials before feeding trials on humans commence. So far, the only feeding test of GM rice conducted were in China, which was met with ethical issues as the project leaders failed to inform the children and their parents that it was GM rice they were feeding them with.

A guise for corporate control

MASIPAG believes that while VAD is a serious concern, there have been cheap, practical and viable ways to address the issue that have contributed to its decline. In fact, the percentage of children aged 0-5 years with VAD have already decreased to about 15% in 2008, mainly from the Department of Health (DOH) interventions such as Vitamin A supplementation and food fortification.

“We have many traditional food and crops that are rich in Vitamin A,” said Virgie Nazareno, a MASIPAG farmer from General Nakar, Quezon. “We do not need Golden Rice, what we need is access to these nutritious and safe foods.”

MASIPAG has been at the forefront of the sustainable agriculture movement in the country for almost 30 years putting emphasis on developing food security among the resource-poor farmers in the country.

“So if we have an abundant source of Vitamin A-rich foods, and that the government has so far successful in addressing VAD, why push for Golden Rice?” asked Nazareno. “We believe that Golden Rice, whose research has been hijacked by agrochemical company Syngenta, is meant to gain control over our rice and agriculture.”

Golden Rice is largely tied with patenting issues, which could jeopardize millions of farmers who rely on free sharing, saving and improvement of seeds. Syngenta, while claiming that the Golden Rice will be made royalty-free for farmers earning ten thousand dollars or less a year, has not yet relinquished their more than 70 patents to the Golden Rice technology.

“That alone is highly suspicious, and which should serve as caution to us farmers,” said Diego Dela Cruz, Jr. a farmer from Agusan del Sur, and a prolific rice breeder of MASIPAG. “When these companies get hold of our seeds, poor farmers will have to buy seeds again and again, leaving us dependent on these TNCs. We cannot trust these corporations who are willing to endanger millions of farmers and consumers just to gain profit.”

Golden Rice will not solve hunger and malnutrition

“Micronutrient deficiencies are largely observed among children in poor families since they cannot afford a well-balanced diet,” asserts Dr. Medina. “In that case, Golden Rice is not the solution; what is needed rather is the peoples’ access to resources.”

MASIPAG further asserts that the solution to hunger and malnutrition lies in comprehensive approaches to ensure food security and not thru market or profit-oriented approaches. Golden Rice will never solve VAD but would only strengthen this status quo, benefiting only those interested in controlling the nation’s agriculture sector. ###

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